Bracelet.



No. 809,619. l PATBNTED JAN. 9, 1906. P. H. LETTRE.

v BRACELET.

APPLICATION FILED JUNI; 3, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PIIILLIP H. LETTRE, OF ATTLEBORO FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T() T.I. SMITH CO., OF NORTH ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS.

BRACELET.

No. eo9,619.`

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application iled June 3,1905. Serial No. 263,572.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PHILLIP H. LETTR, a citizen ot' the United States,residing at Attleboro Falls, in the county ot' Bristol and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and, useful Improvement inBracelets,oi` which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to an improvement in bracelets, and moreparticularly to an improvement in the construction of the hing'e andcatch ot' a bracelet.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction olf braceletswhereby a bracelet is provided with a strong and durable spring-actuatedconcealed hinge and a practically-concealed catch, the construction ot'which is simpliied and strengthened.

My invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction of abracelet embodying a spring-actuated concealed hinge and a onepiececatch, whereby the bracelet is opened against the tension ot' thespring, closed automatically, and held in the closed position by thecatch, with details of construction, as will be more Vfully set forthhereinafter.

Figure l is a side view of a bracelet embodying' my invention, showingthe bracelet in the closed position in full lines and in the openposition in broken lines. Fig. 2 is an enlarg'ed detail sectional viewlooking at the back of the hing'e, showing' the shell ot' the braceletbroken away to clearly show the construction otl the hinge. Fig. 3 is anenlarged detail sectional view looking' at the side ot' the hinge,showing the shell of the bracelet broken away and the hinge in theclosed position. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on acentral line drawn from the outside to the inside of the bracelet,showing the hinge in the open position. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailsectional view showing the catch holding the ends of the bracelet in theclosed position, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view showingthe end ot' the bracelet released from the catch.

In the drawings, c indicates one semicircular half, the othersemicircular halt', c the spring-actuated concealed hinge, and Z thecatch, of my improved bracelet.

The semicircular halves a and Z) are in the form of a tube or hollowshell. The half a has the end a for the hinge c and the end a2, in whichis the slot a", for the catch (Z. The

halt' has the end for the hinge and the end Z22, having theinwardly-turned lip 3 for the catch d.

The hinge c consists of a member c', having' the body portion c2, shapedto fit in the end of the bracelet and the forked end c3; a member c",having the body portion c, shaped to [it in the end c ot' the bracelet;the tongue c, adapted to enter the forked end c3, in which it ispivotally secured by the pin o7, forming the pintle of the hinge, andthe slot cs, eX- tending' into the end of the body portion c5; a squaretube 09, in which is a coiled spring cl", one end of which is secured tothe member c in the slot as by the pin cu, and the other endv to the barcl2, extending across the outer end ot' the tube c". The members d, c",and c of the hinge are all curved to conform to the contour ot' thebracelet, as shown in Fig. 3. The hinge is secured in the bracelet bysoldering the body portion c2 of the member c in the end ot' thebracelet and soldering' the cross-bar 012 or the adjacent end ot' thetube c inthe end a/ of the bracelet, with the halves n and of thebracelet in the closed position.

The catch CZ is stamped fron sheet metal, substantially U-shaped, asshown in Fig. 6. The arm (Z/ has the rounded end (Z2, and the arm Z3 hasthe rounded end d", the notch (Z5, and the outwardly-extending push-teatd, The catch Z is placed in the end a2 of the bracelet in a position forthe push-teat d to extend through the slot a in the end a2 and securedby soldering the arm CZ to the inside i of the bracelet.

In the operation ot' my improved bracelet the bracelet is opened bypushing on the pushteat d and forcing' the two halves ofthe braceletapart against the tension of the coiled spring, as shown in broken linesin Fig'. l and full lines in Fig. 4. The outer edges of the ends a andact as a fulcrum to draw the member c4 and the tube o9 apart against thetension of the spring c1, as shown in Fig'. 4. The bracelet closesautomatically by the tension ot' the spring c1", and the ends and belock automatically by the lip on the end L entering the notch Z5 in thecatch d, as shown in Fig. 5.

By this construction I provide a bracelet with a strong' spring-actuatedconcealed hinge and a one-piece automatic catch, whereby the IOO IOS

bracelet is easily opened and automatically closed and locked in theclosed position when released.

It is evident that the sbell of the bracelet could be circular or squarein 'cross-section and that the bracelet could have any design orconfiguration desired without materially aecting the spirit of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, I claimas new and desire to secureby Letters IJatent l. A two-part tubular bracelet having aspring-actuated concealed hinge consisting of a member having a bodyportion with a forked end, a member having a body portion with a tongueadapted to enter the forked end of the adjacent member in which it ispivotally secured by a pin, a tube, a coiled spring in the tube one endof which is secured to the member having the tongue and the other endsecured to a bar crossing the outer end of the tube, a catch stampedsubstantially U-shaped from sheet metal the arms of which are rounded onthe ends, one arm having anotch and a push-teat adapted to extendthrough a slot in the bracelet, and means for securing the hinge andcatch, whereby the bracelet is opened against the tension of the coiledspring without forming a gap or opening in the hingejoint of thebracelet, and closed automatically by the tension of the coiled spring',as described.

2. In a bracelet, the combination with-thehalf a having the end a andthe half b having the end of a bracelet, of a spring-actuated concealedhinge 0 consisting of a member c having the body portion c2 with theforked end c3, a member c4 having the body portion c5, the tongue cadapted to enter the forked end o3 in which it is pivotally secured bythe pin c7 forming the pintle of the hinge, and the slot c8 extendinginto the body portion c5, a tube c, a coiled spring 01 in the tube, oneend of the spring being secured to the member afin the slot cS by thepin c andthe other end to the bar cl2 extending across the outer end ofthe tube o, and means for securing `the hinge in the bracelet, asdescribed.

3. In a bracelet, the combination with the half a having the end a', theend a2 in which is the slot a3, and the half having the end b and theend b2 in which is the inwardly-extending lip b3, of a spring-actuatedconcealed hinge c consisting of a member c having the body portion c2with the forked end c3, a member c4 having the body portion c5, and thetongue 0G adapted to enter the forked end c3 in which it is pivotallysecured by the pin 07 formingthe pintle of the hinge, and the slot 08extending into the body portion c5, a tube 09, a coiled spring 01 in thetube, one end of the spring being secured to the member 0i in the slot08 by the pin cu and the other end to the bar 012 extending across theouter end of the tube c, and a U-shaped catch d having' the arm d withthe rounded end cl2 and the arm Z3 with the rounded end d4, the notch Z5and the outwardly-extending push-teat d, means for securing the hinge cin the ends a' and of the bracelet, and means for securing the catch CZin the end a2 of the bracelet, as described.

1n testimony W hereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

PHILLIP H. LETTR.

